Electronic device having cabinet assembled without clearance

ABSTRACT

To provide an electronic device including a cabinet to be assembled from a lower case and an upper case, which has no clearance left in the joint plane between the lower case and the upper case, and can be conveniently assembled/disassembled, the lower case and upper case of the cabinet individually include two side plates having such a joint plane as is sloped in the longitudinal direction, the individual side plates of the upper and lower cases are provided on the inside thereof at a plurality of positions with engagement means having horizontal engaging faces, and the upper and lower cases are assembled without leaving a clearance by sliding the upper case along the joint plane to apply a fastening pressure to the joint plane.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an electronic device, which is provided with a cabinet to be assembled from a lower case and an upper case.

2. Related Art

In recent years, the electronic device has various and diverse kinds and various designs. A cabinet is generally molded of plastics, and houses a chassis constructed to have various electronic parts. In case the cabinet is assembled from a lower case and an upper case, a clearance may arise between the upper and lower cases. Specifically, the individual portions of the cabinet, which is thinned to reduce the material, are easily deformed to leave a clearance in a joint plane. This clearance of the cabinet deteriorates the appearance of the electronic device.

As a conventional art in which no rattling is caused between the lower case and the upper case in the cabinet constructed of the upper and lower cases, it is known “Plastic Casing” disclosed in JP-UM-A-3-25283. This plastic casing comprises: a first casing portion having an opening; and a second casing portion having an opening, in which the peripheral edge portion of the first casing portion on the side of the first-named opening is fitted. One of the first casing portion and the second casing portion has a recess formed therein, and the other is provided with a dick, which engages with the recess for preventing the movement of the first casing portion fitted in the second casing portion from moving in the direction opposite to the direction to be inserted into the second casing portion. In the vicinity of the individual confronting inner wall faces of the second casing portion, there are provided guide portions which come into abutment against the end faces of the peripheral edge portion to be fitted in the opening of the second casing portion. The faces of the guide portions to come into abutment against the end faces are inclined to come doser to the inner wall faces as the end faces move in the inserting direction along the abutment faces.

If the first casing portion is combined with the second casing portion, therefore, the peripheral edge portions formed on the first casing portion and the second casing portion come into dose contact to cause neither clearance nor rattling. However, this plastic casing is given a structure, in which the peripheral edge portions formed at the first casing portion and the second casing portion come into contact without any clearance, but a clearance is left between the side plate of the first casing portion and the side plate of the second casing portion.

The guide portions are provided for bringing the peripheral edge portions of the first casing portion and the second casing portion into abutment against each other. If the sizes of the inclined faces at the upper ends of the guide portions are erroneous, however, the clearance is caused to rattle the casing portions. On the other hand, the plastic casing has a connection structure in which the recess and the dick are engaged with each other, so that the first casing portion is hard to remove thereby making the remedy and maintenance troublesome.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus, the cabinet of the electronic device of the conventional art has the problems thus far described. The invention contemplates to solve these problems and has an object to provide an electronic device comprising a cabinet, which has no clearance left in the joint plane between the lower case and the upper case, which can be conveniently assembled/disassembled and which is manufactured with novel designs.

An electronic device according to the invention comprises a cabinet to be assembled from a lower case and an upper case, wherein the lower case and upper case of the cabinet individually include two side plates having such a joint plane, in which the upper and lower end edges contact with each other, as is sloped in the longitudinal direction, wherein the individual side plates of said upper and lower cases are provided on the inside thereof at a plurality of positions with engagement means having horizontal engaging faces, whereby the upper and lower cases are assembled without leaving a clearance by sliding the upper case along the joint plane to apply a fastening pressure to the joint plane. According to this construction, when the upper case is slid along the sloped faces of the upper edges of the two side plates of the lower case, a stress against the force to push up the horizontal engaging faces acts as a pressure for fastening the upper and lower cases vertically on each other, so that the clearance is not left in the joint plane.

The engagement means may include: engagement members attached to one of the upper and lower cases and having horizontal engaging faces; and hook members mounted on the lower case or the upper case to confront said engagement members and adapted to be pushed into engagement with the engaging faces of said engagement members.

Moreover, one of said upper and lower cases may include channel ribs having guide channels, and the confronting lower or upper case can include guide ribs having guide plates to be slidably fitted in said guide channels so that the upper and lower cases may be prevented from being transversely displaced from each other.

The lower case and upper case may cover a shield case and be combined with a front panel. In this case, the front panel may be provided on its back with fastening arms to fasten the front panel on the front portion of the shield case.

The two side plates of the lower case and the two side plates of the upper case may be curved and bulged outward so that the appearance is soft and beautiful.

Moreover, the electronic device according to the invention may be a disk recording/reproducing device including a turntable for turning a recording medium and an optical pickup for reading information from said recording medium and writing the information in said recording medium.

In the electronic device according to the invention, the joint plane, in which the upper and lower end edges of the lower case and the upper case of the cabinet contact with each other, is sloped in the longitudinal direction, and the engaging faces of the engagement means are horizontal. By sliding the upper case along the sloped faces of the upper edges of the two side plates of the lower case, therefore, the pressure acts to fasten the upper and lower cases vertically on each other so that the electronic device has no clearance in the joint plane of the cabinet. In case the upper case is to be removed, it can be simply disassembled by sliding it in the opposite direction so that the electronic device can be conveniently remedied and maintained.

Moreover, the upper case is slid with guidance of the guide channel so that the transverse displacement of the joint plane of the upper and lower cases can be prevented at the assembling time.

Still moreover, the same engagement means can be applied even in the case of the three-piece structure, in which the front panel is constructed as an independent member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing such a cabinet of an electronic device as is assembled without clearance in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) are longitudinally sectional side elevations showing the lower case and the upper case of the cabinet before and after assembling, respectively;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the lower case of the cabinet;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the upper case of the cabinet;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section showing the state, in which a guide rib is fitted in a guide channel of a channel rib;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the connected portion of the upper and lower cases in an exploded manner;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the connected state of the upper and lower cases;

FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) present an exploded perspective view showing another connection mode of the upper and lower cases and a perspective view of the connected state, respectively;

FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b) present an exploded perspective view showing still another mode of the upper and lower cases and a perspective view of the connected state, respectively;

FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b) present an exploded perspective view showing a further mode of the upper and lower cases and a perspective view of the connected state, respectively;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing such a cabinet of an electronic device as is assembled without clearance in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the cabinet;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the state, in which a shield case is attached to the lower case of the cabinet;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the state, in which a front panel is attached to the front portion of the shield case; and

FIG. 15 is a bottom view of the front panel and the lower case.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a cabinet of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the invention. This cabinet is constructed by combining a lower case 1 and an upper case 2 which are made of plastic. The lower case 1 is formed in a box shape opened upward, and includes a bottom plate 3, a lower front plate 4, a lower back plate 5 and lower side plates 6 and 6. The upper case 2 is also formed in a box shape opened downward, and includes an upper plate 7, an upper front plate 8, an upper back plate 9 and upper side plates 10 and 10.

The upper plate 7 of the upper case 2 is horizontal, but the upper front plate 8 is sloped backward. The side plates composed of the lower side plates 6 and the upper side plates 10 are bulged outward in a curved shape. Moreover, a joint plane 11 between the upper side edge of the lower side plate 6 and the lower side edge of the upper side plate 10 is not horizontal but sloped to be higher on the front face side and lower on the back face side. In the side plates of this mode, as described later, the upper and lower side plates 10 and 6 take the connection mode, in which they are so engaged with each other that no clearance may be left in the joint plane 11, and the upper side edge and the lower side edge may not make any transverse positional displacement.

As shown in FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b), the present cabinet is assembled by sliding the upper case 2 leftward (in the arrow direction) relative to the lower case 1. For this assembly, the upper side plate 10 of the upper case 2 is provided on its inner side with two hook members 13, and the lower side plate 6 of the lower case 1 is provided on its inner side with engagement members 12 to be engaged with the hook members 13, which are disposed at two corresponding portions. Moreover, the upper side plate 10 of the upper case 2 is provided on its inner side with two channel ribs 14, and the lower side plate 6 of the lower case 1 is provided on its inner side with two guide ribs 15 (as referred to FIGS. 3 and 4).

The guide rib 15 of the lower case 1 is formed in a box shape by a guide plate 15 a rising vertically with a predetermined width and brackets 15 b joining the two side edges of the guide plate 15 a and the inner wall of the lower side plate 6 (as referred to FIG. 3). The upper side edge of the guide plate 15 a is protruded upward of the upper side edge of the lower side plate 6, i.e., the joint plane 11 and formed in parallel with the joint plane 11 (as referred to FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b)). On the other hand, the channel rib 14 of the upper case 2 is constructed of two parallel rib plates 14 a protruded vertically from inner walls of the upper plate 7 and the upper side plate 10, and a reinforcing plate 14 c jointing the two rib plates 14 a. Each of the two rib plates 14 a is provided with a thin guide channel 14 b, which is opened in its lower side to fit the guide plate 15 a slidably (as referred to FIGS. 4 and 5). The opening of the guide channel 14 b is formed in such a trumpet shape as to facilitate introduction of the guide plate 15 a. Moreover, the two leading edges of the two rib plates 14 a and the bottom of the guide channel 14 b are equally spaced from the upper side edges of the guide plate 15 a.

When the lower case 1 and the upper case 2 are to be assembled, with the leading end portions of the guide plate 15 a of the lower case 1 being fitted in the guide channel 14 b of the upper case 2, as shown in FIG. 5, the upper case 2 is slid leftward (in the arrow direction) relative to the lower case 1. As a result, the lower side plate 6 and the upper side plate 10 are correctly positioned, so that the upper edge and the lower edge of the upper and lower side plates, i.e., the joint plane is not transversely displaced. Here, the rib plates 14 a of the channel rib 14 also functions as the reinforcing rib for the curved and outward bulged upper side plate 10.

The engagement member 12 formed on the inner side of the lower side plate 6 of the lower case 1 is formed, as shown in FIG. 6, into a nearly box shape including a lower portion 12 a, an upper portion 12 b, an inner portion 12 c and an outer portion 12 d thereby to define a fitting portion 16 surrounded by each of these portions. On the other hand, the hook member 13 formed on the inner side of the upper side plate 10 of the upper case 2 has an arm 13 a extending horizontally from a rather upper inner wall of the lower end edge 10 a of the upper side plate 10 and an angular key plate 13 b at the leading end of the arm 13 a so that it is formed into a T-shaped section. Sloped faces 13 c and 13 c are formed at the upper and lower leading end portions of the key plate 13 b. Here, both the upper portion 12 b of the engagement member 12 and the key plate 13 b of the hook member 13 are formed in parallel with either the upper face of the upper case 2 or the lower face of the lower case 1, that is, made horizontal.

The key plate 13 b of the hook member 13 is fitted in the fitting portion 16 of the engagement member 12 thus formed, as shown in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 2(a), more specifically, the upper case 2 is placed over the lower case 1 and the leading end portion of the guide plate 15 a of the lower case 1 is fitted in the guide channel 14 b of the upper case (as referred to FIG. 5), and then it is slid leftward, i.e., obliquely upward. As a result, the key plate 13 b of the hook member 13 is fitted in the filing portion 16 of the engagement member 12 so that the upper and lower cases are jointed in a mutually pulling state. Thus, the corner of the upper sloped face 13 c of the key plate 13 b of the hook member 13 is fitted in contact with the lower face of the upper portion 12 b of the engagement member 12, and the upper and lower cases are combined to leave no clearance between the upper edge 6 a of the lower side plate 6 and the lower edge 10 a of the upper side plate 10. When the hook member 13 and the engagement member 12 are engaged with each other, moreover, the upper case 2 is fastened from the lower case 1 by means of screws (although not shown).

FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) show another mode of the engagement member 12 and the hook member 13. This mode is identical to that of the case of the aforementioned embodiment (in FIGS. 6 and 7) excepting that the upper face of the lower portion 12 a of the engagement member 12 is flush with the upper edge of the lower side plate 6, and that the hook member 13 is formed on the upper side of the arm 13 a.

FIG. 9(a) and 9(b) show further another mode of the engagement member 12 and the hook member 13. The engagement member 12 includes the lower portion 12 a, the inner portion 12 c, the upper portion 12 b, and the outer portion 12 d protruded from midway of the lower portion 12 a. In the hook member 13, the key plate 13 b having a generally L-shaped section is formed at the leading end of the arm 13 a extending from the upper side plate 10.

FIG. 10(a) and 10(b) show still another mode of the engagement member 12 and the hook member 13. The engagement member 12 includes the lower portion 12 a where its upper face is flush with the upper edge of the lower side plate 6, the inner portion 12 c, the upper portion 12 b, and the outer portion 12 d protruded from midway of the lower portion 12 a leaving a space at the edge end. In the hook member 13, the key plate 13 b is so formed at the leading end on the common face of the arm 13 a as to form a general L-shape in the horizontal direction so that the outer portion 12 d is inserted into a space formed between the key plate 13 b and the arm 13 a. The engaging patterns of the engagement member 12 and the hook member 13 of FIGS. 8 to 10 are substantially identical to that of the embodiment of FIG. 5, and their detailed description is omitted.

Here in the foregoing embodiments, the lower case 1 is provided with the engagement members 12, and the upper case 2 is provided with the hook members 13. These upper and lower cases are engaged with each other by sliding the upper case 2 from the lower portion to the higher portion of the slopes. On the contrary, however, the upper case 2 may be provided with the engagement members 12 whereas the lower case 1 may be provided with hook members 13 so that their engagement may be ensured by sliding the upper case 2 from the higher portion to the lower portion of the slopes. Moreover, the key plates of the hook members 13 need not be formed on the sloped faces 13 c, but the whole upper faces may be formed into curved faces like an arc. In short, it is sufficient that the upper and lower cases are vertically fastened to leave no clearance by the engagements between the engagement members 12 and the hook members 13 acting as the upper and lower case engaging means.

FIG. 11 shows a cabinet structure of an electronic device according to another embodiment of the invention. This cabinet is constructed of three members of: a lower case 17, an upper case 18 and a front panel 19. This cabinet takes a shape to cover a shield case 20, as shown in FIG. 12. Specifically, the front panel 19 is retained and mounted on dicks 21 a, 21 a • • disposed on the upper face of a front portion 21 of the shield case 20, thereby covering the front face. At the same time, the lower case 17 and the upper case 18 covers the upper and lower faces, the two side faces and the back face of the shield case 20.

As shown in FIG. 13, guide members 19 a, 19 a • • are disposed on the back side of the front panel 19, and the front portion 21 of the shield case 20 is fitted in the space framed by the guide members 19 a, 19 a • • in such a state that the shield case 20 is placed on the lower case 17. Moreover, the front panel 19 is mounted on the front portion 21 of the shield case 20 in such a manner that the dicks 21 a, 21 a • • are fitted in holes 19 c, 19 c • • formed in the leading end portions of mount arms 19 b, 19 b • • extending backward of the front panel 19 (as referred to FIG. 14). Here, the front panel 19 is also provided on its lower side with the mount arms 19 b and 19 b having the holes 19 c and 19 c to retain the dicks 21 a, 21 a disposed on the lower face of the front portion 21 of the shield case.

In the front face side of the lower case 17, as shown in FIG. 15, there are formed notches 17 a and 17 a, in which the lower mount arms 19 b and 19 b of the front panel 19 are fitted, and the dicks 21 a and 21 a of the shield case 20 are fitted in those holes 19 c and 19 c. The connecting structure of the lower case 17 and the upper case 18 is identical to that of the case of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, and its detailed description is omitted.

Here, the mode of the engagement members and the hook members for connecting the upper and lower cases should not be limited to those of the embodiments but covers all that appear in the technical concepts of the invention. 

1. An electronic device comprising a cabinet to be assembled from a lower case and an upper case, wherein the lower case and upper case of the cabinet individually include two side plates having such a joint plane, in which the upper and lower end edges contact with each other, as is sloped in the longitudinal direction, wherein the individual side plates of said upper and lower cases are provided on the inside thereof at a plurality of positions with engagement means having horizontal engaging faces, whereby the upper and lower cases are assembled without leaving a clearance by sliding the upper case along the joint plane to apply a fastening pressure to the joint plane.
 2. An electronic device comprising a cabinet according to claim 1, wherein said engagement means includes engagement members attached to one of the upper and lower cases and having horizontal engaging faces, and hook members mounted on the lower case or the upper case to confront said engagement members and adapted to be pushed into engagement with the engaging faces of said engagement members.
 3. An electronic device comprising a cabinet according to claim 2, wherein one of said upper and lower cases includes channel ribs having guide channels, and the confronting lower case or upper case includes guide ribs having guide plates to be slidably fitted in said guide channels so that the upper and lower cases may be prevented from being transversely displaced from each other.
 4. An electronic device comprising a cabinet according to claim 1, wherein said lower case and said upper case cover a shield case and are combined with a front panel.
 5. An electronic device comprising a cabinet according to claim 4, wherein said front panel is provided on its back with mount arms which are retained on the front portion of the shield case.
 6. An electronic device comprising a cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the two side plates of said lower case and the two side plates of said upper case are curved and bulged outward.
 7. An electronic device comprising a cabinet according to claim 1, wherein said electronic device is a disk recording/reproducing device including a turntable for turning a recording medium, and an optical pickup for reading information from said recording medium and writing the information in said recording medium.
 8. An electronic device comprising a cabinet according to claim 2, wherein said electronic device is a disk recording/reproducing device including a turntable for turning a recording medium, and an optical pickup for reading information from said recording medium and writing the information in said recording medium.
 9. An electronic device comprising a cabinet according to claim 3, wherein said electronic device is a disk recording/reproducing device including a turntable for turning a recording medium, and an optical pickup for reading information from said recording medium and writing the information in said recording medium.
 10. An electronic device comprising a cabinet according to claim 4, wherein said electronic device is a disk recording/reproducing device including a turntable for turning a recording medium, and an optical pickup for reading information from said recording medium and writing the information in said recording medium.
 11. An electronic device comprising a cabinet according to claim 5, wherein said electronic device is a disk recording/reproducing device including a turntable for turning a recording medium, and an optical pickup for reading information from said recording medium and writing the information in said recording medium.
 12. An electronic device comprising a cabinet according to claim 6, wherein said electronic device is a disk recording/reproducing device including a turntable for turning a recording medium, and an optical pickup for reading information from said recording medium and writing the information in said recording medium. 